Jan 16, 2008 6:50 pm US/Central
CBS 2 Investigative Series Wins duPont Award
Chicago Public Radio's 'This American Life' Also Honored
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini and producer Michele Youngerman were in New York on Wednesday to receive the 2008 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for their six-part series on lax security at O'Hare airport. They were among 13 winners of the prestigious award.
Chicago Public Radio's "This American Life" also was honored for a story on the disintegration of an assimilated Muslim family in New Jersey who faced discrimination after 9/11. The awards, which were announced Monday, will be presented Jan. 16 at Columbia University in New York.
The duPont Awards are administered by Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and are considered the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prizes, which are also administered by the school.
Other winners include CBS News 60 Minutes for its investigative report "The Mother of All Heists" looking at how half a billion dollars in U.S. and British aid disappeared from the Iraqi Defense Ministry; Richard Engel's MSNBC "War Zone Diary" chronicling his reports in Iraq; and HBO's "The Trials of Darryl Hunt," a two-hour documentary about the wrongful conviction and imprisonment of a 19-year-old African American.
The CBS 2 investigative series called "Fly At Your Own Risk" used hidden cameras to document the ease with which airport workers can access O'Hare without being screened by security.
The video, recorded by 2 Investigators, exposed a side employee gate that lacked metal detectors, bag inspections and employee searches. To gain this access, there is one thing needed – an aviation security badge. Badges are worn by law enforcement officials, baggage handlers, pilots, flight attendants and independent contractors.
CBS 2 found thousands of these badges are missing.
The series led to investigations by the Transportation Safety Administration, the Illinois State Legislature and the U.S. Congress.
You can read about the security issues exposed in those reports by following the links below:
Fly At Your Own Risk: Mishandled Threats On Planes
Fly At Your Own Risk: A Hole In Airport Security
Lawmakers Take Action On O'Hare Security Risks
State Lawmakers Begin Hearings On O'Hare Risks
TSA Reacts To Airport Security Gaps Investigation
Second Airline Employee Blows Whistle On Security
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